On 22/11/2007 Capt_mulch wrote:> Maybe HB inspired JF to turn into such a hell hardman.

I've just been reading a climbing chronology of Fantini in an old issue of Rock. He started climbing in 1966. He climbed the Walker Spur on Grand Jorasses in 1969 amongst other mega-routes in the Alps. He did some sick climbing!

On 22/11/2007 wallwombat wrote:>On 22/11/2007 Capt_mulch wrote:>> Maybe HB inspired JF to turn into such a hell hardman.>>I've just been reading a climbing chronology of Fantini in an old issue>of Rock. He started climbing in 1966. He climbed the Walker Spur on Grand>Jorasses in 1969 amongst other mega-routes in the Alps. He did some sick>climbing!>>I think he was a hardman before he met Hot Henry.

And in his day (perhaps even still today?) probably Australia's most accomplished alpinist (as distinct from mountaineer).

This was the day of Henry's Adelaide talk. He'd driven from Araps to Victor Harbor the day before to 1. see little (aka fairy) penguins - tick! and 2. climb at the (granite) Bluff because he liked seacliffs. The weather was typically South Australian - perfect.

We started on The Pleasure Dome, I would think the world's best 4m grade 14. You could boulder it but you wouldn't want to come off. Then down to Baudin which Henry ran out from the crack up to the slabby middle bit. He decided to clip a bolt and continue up the LHF (17). Over to Richard's Route (18), another crack/slab. He thought the runnout finish to the original route on slightly less-than-perfect granite was a little brash so opted for the bolt and the LHF, as most do in my experience. I pointed out the infamous slab climb just to the R, Hopes in Slopes (22), but Henry hadn't packed his skyhooks. In any event, my instructions were to not allow Henry on that one, at least not before he'd given his talk!

We finished down on Bandaid Wall, a place most avoid but the sight of all the cracks got Henry's moustache twitching. He onsighted Bandaid (20), a Col Reece wide-hands testpiece from the 70's which Henry described as technical. It was too technical for me, and I need to go back and practise some of Henry's tips. We finished on c--kles and Muscles (19) which Henry thought, if anything, was tougher than Bandaid.

Henry announced he'd only ever seen one koala, in '75, and was very keen to see another. Therefore, en route to the talk, we took a detour to Chambers Gully and walked 20m up the track. Henry saw his second koala. So it was a top day with a good bloke, quite a buzz actually.

I think alpinists have moustaches, wear those funny hats with a feather in them, hob-nailed boots, and long sock pulled up high, then climb mountains in one hit either solo or only roped to one other person. (None of this siege tactic business).

Hot H's last day in Oz, picked him up perilously close to thewine-tasting bar at Sydney airport at 11. Despite light to heavy rain, we went out to Bondi where henry led the classic, slopey and greasy seam "Arapiles" (18/19). He was a little slow at first until he realised that the rock was sound despite the sand, and that all the holds were going to be wet and sandy except the underclings. Many small wires later he topped out and the rain even eased while we did the (horrid) second pitch (I must beef up the rap station so this can be avoided). I got him back to the airport at 2.

I remember reading an article years ago in, I think, "Rock and Ice", it was a rather fanciful piece built around the cover headline: "Is climbing an addiction?"

They interviewed Barber about it, and he explained how he'd once climbed, oh I can't remember, 362 days in a year, and also how he'd once flown from the States to London and managed to get in a climb on some nearby (and I think in one case, worthless) crag at each end of the journey.

Classic Mikl, what a way to end an Australian tour - a sandy cliff at Bondi in the rain! None of this "let's sit in the pub and hope for some Swedish backpackers in bikinis" business (though I must admit the top balcony bar at the Steyne at Manly is my favourite for that one)...